Opposition won't join Mugabe's government
http://www.zimonline.co.za/Article.aspx?ArticleId=3597
by Own Correspondent Thursday 28 August 2008
JOHANNESBURG - Zimbabwe's opposition said on Wednesday it will
not join any government formed by President Robert Mugabe before
conclusion of negotiations meant to bring the country's feuding
political parties into an all-inclusive government of national
unity.
Reacting to Mugabe's announcement at a luncheon after opening
Parliament on Tuesday that he would soon name a Cabinet, the
main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party
labelled such a move "a declaration of war against the people".
"It's very clear that if he announces the new Cabinet it's a
declaration of war against the people. You can't just have a
Cabinet without a mandate," said Nelson Chamisa, spokesperson of
Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC, urging the 84-year-old Zimbabwean
leader to wait for the conclusion of negotiations.
The state-owned Herald newspaper re****ted on Wednesday that
Mugabe had told government officials that he would soon be
naming a new Cabinet without the MDC which the veteran leader
said was unwilling to join in the new government.
Chamisa accused Mugabe of trying to "hijack the leader****p" of
Zimbabwe and appealed to South African President Thabo Mbeki,
the Southern African Development Community's official mediator
on the Zimbabwe crisis, to urgently intervene as Zimbabwe was
"sliding and gliding into anarchy".
"The talks have not been formally terminated so the natural
conclusion is that the talks are on," Chamisa said, adding that
they were yet to get formal communication on the way forward
from Mbeki since the talks stalled two weeks ago after Mugabe
and Tsvangirai failed to agree on who would wield more power
between them.
A breakaway faction of MDC led by Arthur Mutambara, in what
appears to be a departure from its increasingly pro-ZANU PF
stance, also said it would not join a Mugabe government.
"We are actually looking forward to the conclusion of the
dialogue when Mugabe and Tsvangirai form a transitional
government," said party spokesman Edwin Mushoriwa.
Meanwhile five MDC parliamentarians were on Wednesday still in
police custody following their arrest this week, and a High
Court bid by the MDC secretary general Tendai Biti, to dismiss
treason charges brought ahead of the presidential run-off vote
in June, was postponed. - ZimOnline
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